Fear of the future, fear of something happening, fear of losing control…
So underneath that is fear.
And underneath fear is perhaps a lack of safety in oneself.
Something happened in the past, and our body and psyche store that energy. It can keep us hypervigilant and alert.
Mechanically, our nervous system can learn to respond to certain situations as if there is danger, even when we are actually okay. The amygdala helps detect danger and can activate the fear response very quickly, while the hippocampus helps us recognise the context, that this is now, not then.
And when we have repeatedly experienced the same thing and had the same reaction, it can become a habitual energy.
As Thich Nhat Hanh describes, sometimes we are caught in our habitual energy.
We are afraid just for the sake of fear. When we logically think about it, we may know that we are okay. But because we have repeatedly experienced the same thing and had the same reaction, the body keeps going back to that familiar response.
So how can we feel safe again?
Perhaps it starts with awareness.
Catching ourselves gently:
“I know I am feeling fear.”
Not trying to push it away.
Not trying to make it disappear.
Just noticing.
Observing what is happening, and taking a little step back from the story, so we can see a bigger picture.
Focus on our spine with mindful breathing.
Feel the support that we have within ourselves.
You might still feel a strong pull back into the fear again. That’s okay. That’s normal.
The more we catch ourselves in it, the more the power of fear becomes less.
Can we trust ourselves ?
Can we trust life, even when we can’t see ahead?
Can we rest in ourselves?
Can we rest in God?
Can we rest in the universe?
Maybe safety is knowing that whatever happens, we will still be here with ourselves.
And when we can rest in them, perhaps we can experience peace.
We can breathe.
This is simply from my own experience of anxiety and fear, and my own practice of finding my way through it.
I’m still learning.
But I am learning that I don’t have to fight the fear or make it disappear.
I can notice it.
I can feel it.
I can stay with myself .
And slowly, I can come back home to myself.
We can come back home to ourselves.
It will take time and lots of practice, but we don’t have to do it all alone.
We are supported.
